Ahead of a self-imposed Memorial Day deadline, House Republicans are moving quickly to pass President Donald Trump’s “one, big, beautiful bill,” including sweeping tax cuts and increased funding for the military, border security, and fossil fuel production. The spending would be offset by cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and green energy programs.But the current proposals are generating a lot of opposition from Democrats and even some Republicans.House Republicans held committee hearings Tuesday into early morning Wednesday, focused on the bill’s largest components, including tax breaks totaling more than $5 trillion. Earlier in the day, protesters disrupted at least one of the marathon meetings, chanting “No cuts to Medicaid.”Republicans are eyeing cuts to the program that provides free health care for people with disabilities and people on low incomes. The changes to Medicaid would impose new requirements for coverage, such as proof of at least 80 hours per month of work, education, or service, and verifying eligibility twice a year instead of once. Applicants also cannot own a home worth more than $1 million. An estimate from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office shows the changes could remove nearly 8 million people from Medicaid.Despite that, Trump expressed optimism about moving the bill forward.”The United States Congress is on the verge of passing the largest tax cut and regulation cut in American history,” he said Tuesday. “If we get that, that will be like a rocket ship for our country.”The bill proposes to make permanent the tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term, which are set to expire this year. It includes increases to the standard deduction and estate tax exemption, a temporarily higher child tax credit, and changes to state and local tax deductions. Republicans are also aiming to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises by eliminating taxes on tips and offering limited deductions for taxes on Social Security for lower-income individuals, along with a temporary deduction on car loan interest for certain American-made vehicles.The proposed cuts to social programs and elimination of green energy credits will not cover the bill’s cost, potentially adding $3.7 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.”House Republicans are trying to jam another GOP tax scam down the throats of the American people,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, criticizing the bill. “The notion that Republicans are fiscally responsible is laughable.”The package also proposes changes to the SNAP food assistance program, expanding work requirements for older Americans and parents with children over the age of 7. States will also bear a larger share of the program’s cost, potentially reducing eligibility for about three million people on an average monthly basis.Republicans plan to increase spending on border security and the military, including funding for more border wall construction, deportations, and personnel. The bill also allocates money for a missile defense system called the “Golden Dome,” as well as new ships, ammunition stockpiles, and service members.Other policy changes include scrapping student loan repayment programs, offering less generous options for income-based payments and forgiveness, and opening more public lands for oil drilling, mining, and logging. Federal workers may also face higher retirement contributions and reduced benefits.House Speaker Mike Johnson says a tax agreement could come as soon as Wednesday. He also wants the House to pass the bill by Memorial Day before it moves to the Senate and complete the budget by mid-July. The final package must also include language to raise the debt ceiling, as the Treasury Secretary warns the U.S. will run out of money to pay its bills otherwise.

Source